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WHAT'S DOING IN

WHAT'S DOING IN; Oslo

By ERIC SJOGREN;

Published: April 18, 1993

Oslo has a kind of perennial holiday atmosphere. The Norwegians have a great passion for the outdoors, and flexible work hours are prevalent, making it possible for many people to leave work no later than 4 P.M. most days and to take Friday afternoon off. The tram from downtown Oslo to Holmenkollen, 1,150 feet above sea level, is equipped with ski racks, and in summer the Oslo Fjord ferries are crammed with commuters who have taken up temporary residence on summer resort islands in the city.

Even in town, a pleasure-loving spirit prevails. Aker Brygge, the newly developed waterfront only five minutes' walk from the center, is always filled with people, many of them enjoying a beer with a bagful of shrimps, which can be bought straight off fishing boats. The bars and cafes along Karl Johan, which runs from downtown to the Royal Palace, all spill over onto the sidewalk.

The air you breathe in Oslo seems less polluted than in other European capitals, and once you're up at Holmenkollen it's fresh indeed. Forests cover 90 square miles, half of the city area.

Sports are taken seriously here. Norwegian skiers made an almost clean sweep of this year's world championships, and the country's major preoccupation now is to repeat that performance at next year's Winter Olympics, which will be staged at Lillehammer, 95 miles north of the capital. Once the skiing season is through, around Easter, long-distance runners take over. Events

No soldiers march to celebrate Norway's Constitution Day, May 17, but 10,000 schoolchildren do, thronging Karl Johan Street with their flags and marching bands, eventually to be greeted by King Harald and Queen Sonja from the balcony of the Royal Palace. In the evening students in blue and red caps take over the town with more raucous merriment.

This is the Year of the Dance in Norway. Outdoor performances are scheduled in Frogner Park May 15, Karl Johan Street June 5 and St. Hanshaugen June 23. New works will be presented at the Black Box Theater at 3 Stranden, 22 83 39 90, including "The View," inspired by modern musicals and performed by a group assembled by the choreographer Jane Hveding, May 3 to 9; "Gula min Jiena," based on the history and culture of the Lapps (nowadays known as Sami) and performed by dancers selected by the choreographer Hjalmar Johnsen, May 20 to 28, and "Fireflies," performed by the Danish group Dance Lab, choreographed by Anita Saij, which combines modern dance with traditional Japanese techniques, June 17 to 20. Tickets are $15 to $20 (prices at 7 kroner to the dollar).

Paintings by Mark Tobey, the American abstract artist, are on show until May 2 at the Henie-Onstad Art Center at 1311 Hovikodden, 67 54 30 50, situated 20 minutes from the city center. This will be followed by an exhibition of works on the theme of AIDS, May 8 to June 20. A selection of the foundation's collection of 7,000 modern paintings and sculptures will be shown June 23 to Aug. 15. A new wing, to be opened next winter, will triple the center's limited exhibition space. The center is open Mon. 11 A.M. to 5 P.M., Tuesday to Friday 9 A.M. to 9 P.M. and weekends 11 A.M. to 7 P.M. Admission $4.50.

The Grete Waitz Race on May 8, named for the 10-time winner of the New York Marathon, has 40,000 women running five kilometers from Frogner Park to Bislett Stadium.

A number of world records have been set at Bislett Stadium, helped along by clean air, a fast track and an enthusiastic public. Starting this year the Bislett Games, July 10, becomes one of the Golden Four on the professional track and field circuit, something like the Grand Slam tennis events. A winner at all four track events claim 20 kilograms (44 pounds) of pure gold. The meet starts at 7:30 P.M.; tickets, $17.25 to $54 from Ticketmaster, 22 41 64 90. Sights

A clutch of museums on Bygdoy (a pleasant boat ride from the pier below City Hall) celebrate Norwegian seafarers of the distant and recent past. The Viking Ships Museum, 22 43 83 79, contains three extraordinarily graceful ninth-century ships of the kind that sailed west to Iceland and North America, south to France and Constantinople. Open daily from 9 A.M. to 6 P.M.; admission $2.85. The Fram Museum, 22 43 83 70, houses the Arctic exploration ship, built in 1892, used for expeditions to both the North and South Poles. Open daily 9 A.M. to 5:45 P.M.; admission $2.15. The Kon-Tiki Museum, 22 43 80 50, displays include the balsa-log raft sailed from Peru to the South Pacific islands by Thor Heyerdahl in 1947. Open daily 9 A.M. to 6 P.M., admission $2.85. The 13th-century wooden stave church in a style similar to the Vikings' dragon decor is the outstanding exhibit at the Folkemuseum, 22 43 70 20. It is open daily 10 A.M. to 6 P.M.; admission $5.35. The Bygdoy museums are within 15 minutes' walk of one another; a "museum train" is also available.

Edvard Munch's painting "The Scream" hangs, with a score of his other paintings, including "Madonna" and "The Sick Child," in the Munch Room of the National Gallery, 13 Universitetsgaten, 22 20 04 04. Open weekdays except Tuesday from 10 A.M. to 4 P.M., Sunday 11 A.M. to 3 P.M., admission free. This museum also contains works by 1880's realists such as Christian Krogh, Harriet Backer and Kitty Kielland.